Artist Robert Shetterly – Americans Who Tell the Truth

January-Mid-February 2025

Artist Statement

Robert Shetterly is an American artist, best known for his portrait series, “Americans Who Tell the Truth.” The project was begun in response to U.S. government actions following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center towers in New York City. Shetterly undertook the project as a way to deal with his own grief and anger by painting Americans who inspired him. The portraits have given Shetterly an opportunity to speak with children and adults all over this country about the necessity of dissent in a democracy, the obligations of citizenship, sustainability, US history, and how democracy cannot function if politicians don’t tell the truth, if the media don’t report it, and if the people don’t demand it. He initially intended to paint only 50 portraits, but by 2022 more than 260 portraits were included in the series. Portions of the series tour widely across the United States, being shown in schools, museums, libraries, galleries and other public spaces. 

The Needham Free Public Library, due to the generosity of the Library Foundation of Needham will be displaying 16 of Robert’s paintings from January 2 – February 15, 2025 in the Friends Art Gallery on the second floor.

The Following Paintings are included in the Exhibit:

Louis Brandeis – US Supreme Court Justice: 1856-1941

Rachel Carson – Biologist, Writer, Ecologist: 1907-1964

Cesar Estrada Chavez – Farm Workers’ Union Founder, Human Rights Activist: 1927-1993

Claudette Colvin – Civil Rights Activist: b.1939

Deqa Dhalac – Community activist and organizer, State Legislator: 1966-

Chief Joseph, Hinmatóowyalahtq̓it – Native American Leader: c. 1840-1904

Langston Hughes – Poet, Novelist, Playwright: 1902-1967

Becci Ingram – Dramatist, Activist for Disability Rights: 1974 – 2000

Martin Luther King, Jr. – Clergyman, Civil Rights Leader: 1929 – 1968

John Lewis – Civil Rights Activist, Congressman: b. 1940 – 2020

Dr. Bernard Lown – Medical Pioneer, Peace Activist, Humanitarian; b. 1921, d. 2021

Pauli Murray – Attorney, Minister, Author: b. 1910 – 1985

Carlos Munoz, Jr. – Scholar, Public Intellectual: b. 1939

Sojourner Truth – Abolitionist, Evangelist, Feminist: 1797? – 1883

Shannon Watts – Anti-gun violence activist, organizer: 1971 – Lily Yeh – Artist, Social Pioneer: b. 1941